Explore Leonardo’s Milan in depth today, beginning with a visit to the Pinacoteca Brera where Director, James Bradburne will warmly welcome our group to his museum. Afterwards we’ll head to our second stop, the gargantuan Castello Sforzesco, where Leonardo spent two decades working for Ludovico il Moro. You’ll marvel at the imposing castle and collection which reflect the dominance of the Visconti and Sforza families as well as behold Michelangelo’s last Pietà, left unfinished in Rome and only purchased for the Milanese civic collections in the twentieth century. 

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Gather in the lobby of the hotel for a presentation on Leonardo’s Last Supper followed by an after-hours visit to behold Leonardo’s masterpiece, the Last Supper.

Enjoy a reception “al fresco” followed by dinner in a private Milanese Nobile home.

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 Often called the world's most beautiful lake, Italy's Lake Como has been a popular resort destination for the wealthy and powerful since the days of the Roman Empire, when Roman author and magistrate Pliny the Younger built villas named "Comedy" and "Tragedy" along its shores. Today, the list of luminaries who own homes or villas on Lake Como runs the gamut from Richard Branson to George Clooney to John Kerry. On your visit to Lake Como, you'll explore the lake on a private boat cruise from Bellagio stopping at 18th-century Villa Del Balbianello, built on the site of a Franciscan monastery and renowned for its exquisite terraced gardens ablaze with magnolias, followed by a visit to the Isola Comacina, the lake’s only private island, for a special lunch.

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 Enjoy a walking tour of the best of Bologna, including the famous food market. Stroll through the maze of streets where shops and stalls display an overwhelming array of fresh pasta, artisanal mortadella,

hams and salamis, cheeses, fresh fruit and vegetables, and an irresistible variety of bread and pastries. Led by a local expert, taste these products in some of the city’s historic food shops. 

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Continue to the Palazzo dell’Archiginnasio, the seat of the university until 1803, and visit Piazza Maggiore and the Cathedral of San Petronio. 

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Free for lunch on your own.

This afternoon choose to wander through the medieval streets on your own or join Elaine and Linda for a visit to Pinacoteca Nazionale, which houses works by Raphael, the Carracci family and Guido Reni. 

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Enjoy a group dinner in a typical Bolognese trattoria.

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Group departure from hotel

Head to Pavia for a special visit to the Certosa di Pavia, perhaps the most richly endowed monastic foundation in Italy and mausoleum of both the Visconti and the Sforza. Nestled in the heart of rice fields, the Certosa di Pavia is a centuries-old monastery, and may well be one of the most beautiful ecclesiastical buildings in Europe. Explore the monumental complex with one of the Carthusian Fathers as our guide. 

Enjoy a reception “al fresco” and lunch. Free time in Milan in the late afternoon and evening

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Parma is a beautiful city; the vast Palazzo della Pilotta houses an art gallery (Correggio, Parmigianino) and an important Renaissance theatre (first proscenium arch). Visit the splendid Romanesque cathedral with illusionistic frescoes of a tumultuous heavenly host by Correggio. Also by Correggio is a sophisticated set of allegorical lunettes in grisaille surrounding a celebration of Diana as the goddess of chastity and the hunt in the Camera di S. Paolo. 

Enjoy a group lunch at Parma’s renowned Ristorante Agnolo D’Oro.

Continue to Bologna and check into your hotel.

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Steeped in history and gastronomy and bordered by the Po River to the north and the Apennine Mountains to the south, Emilia Romagna is home to rarefied car-racing brands including Ferrari, Maserati, and Lamborghini, and the birthplace of such exalted Italian sons as Giuseppe Verdi, Luciano Pavarotti, Federico Fellini, and Giorgio Armani. Even seasoned foodies may be surprised to learn that Emilia Romagna brings more Denominazione di Origine Protetta (DOP) literally “Protected Designation of Origin”—foods to the global table than any other part of Italy. Emilia Romagna’s mouth-watering list includes savory delicacies like prosciutto di Parma, aceto balsamico tradizionale di Modena (arguably the most prized balsamic vinegar in the world), and a perennial favorite of cheese-lovers everywhere, parmigiano reggiano.

Visit Hombre Organic Farm in Modena, for a unique taste of the DOP production process and the region itself, the only local producer of entirely organic parmigiano on a closed-cycle farm. Translation: everything that goes into the cheese—from the alfalfa, corn, and barley that feeds the farm’s 500 Italian Friesian cows to every ounce of milk—comes from the 750-acre premises.
Continue on to iconic Acetaia Giuseppe Giusti where you will walk among centuries-old casks of vinegar acetaie, visit the family’s museum and experience the ancient art of vinegar making followed by a light lunch.

This afternoon walk through the center of Modena to visit the famous Medieval Cathedral and stop at the Ferrari museum on the return to Bologna. Upon arrival, enjoy a reception to say farewell to the program.

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